Updated Vaccine Plan In NC Means Those 65 And Over Now Eligible

NORTH CAROLINA — More North Carolina residents are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to state public health officials announcing an updated phased approach aimed at simplifying and ramping up vaccine distribution throughout the state.

The news follows the Trump administration's announcement Tuesday recommending vaccine eligibility expand to those 65 years old and older, as well as those with pre-existing conditions that are at risk for serious illness from COVID-19.

North Carolina reported 9,853 new known cases of COVID-19 Thursday, increasing the state's tally to 650,926 cases. Hospitalizations rose to 3,990, as the death toll rose by 80 to 7,825 lives lost to the virus in the state since March.

Beginning Jan. 14, vaccine providers in North Carolina may begin vaccinating all healthcare workers and anyone over the age of 65, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said. Following this tier will be frontline essential workers, such as teachers and law enforcement, followed by adults with high risk of exposure and increased risk of serious illness, then everyone.

Prior to the announcement Thursday, the state was allocating vaccines for at-risk healthcare workers, long-term care facility staff and residents, and those 75 years old and older.

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While vaccine eligibility has expanded, supply has not and remains very limited, DHHS' top doctor said Thursday.

"We have less vaccine in our state than those who are eligible," to receive it, DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen said during a news conference.

As of Jan. 13, at least 238,344 individuals had received a first dose of vaccine, and 44,271 had completed the vaccine series, DHHS said.

State public health efforts to expand vaccination rates are hamstrung by federal supply. North Carolina currently receives about 120,000 doses a week, Cohen said. Even if every dose of vaccine physically in the state was distributed today, only 6 percent of the population would be vaccinated, she said.

The federal government's weekly vaccine allocation sent to North Carolina is distributed throughout the state by DHHS based upon data indicating vaccine usage and supply.

"What we've been doing over the last week is trying to understand if folks are out of vaccine, which we can see in the data, or if they still have vaccine sitting there on the shelf and how can we support them in getting that vaccine out as quickly as possible," Cohen said. For those with supplies on hand, DHHS in helping organize high throughput vaccination events.

The agency is now requiring its vaccine partners distribute all doses they receive from DHHS within seven days, Cohen said.

Here is DHHS' updated list of COVID-19 vaccines:

Group 1: Health care workers & Long-Term Care staff and residents

• Health care workers with in-person patient contact
• Long-term care staff and residents—people in skilled nursing facilities, adult care homes and continuing care retirement communities

Group 2: Older adults

• Anyone 65 years or older, regardless of health status or living situation

Group 3: Frontline essential workers

• The CDC defines frontline essential workers as workers who are in sectors essential to the functioning of society and who are at substantially higher risk for exposure to COVID-19

Group 4: Adults at high risk for exposure and increased risk of severe illness

• Anyone 16-64 years old with high-risk medical conditions that increase risk of severe disease from COVID-19 such as cancer, COPD, serious heart conditions, sickle cell disease, Type 2 diabetes, among others, regardless of living situation
• Anyone who is incarcerated or living in other close group living settings who is not already vaccinated due to age, medical condition or job function
• Essential workers not yet vaccinated. The CDC defines these as workers in transportation and logistics, water and wastewater, food service, shelter and housing (e.g., construction), finance (e.g., bank tellers), information technology and communications, energy, legal, media, public safety (e.g., engineers) and public health workers

Group 5: Everyone who wants a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccination